Flexible bracelet



Sept. 11:; 1923."

A. F. BLANCHARD FLEXIBLE BRACELET Filed Nov. 19, 1920 uman- 5 1 |||||||||lllllllllllllllllllll llllilifllllllll 61m: neg

ADNA 3. BLAZICH, OF CBANSTUN, RHTI'DE ISLAND, ASSIGNOIR T0 i FACT-BRING- GOMPY, OI EROVIDENCE, RHOIDBE ISL 0F RHODE ISLAND.

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\ 1- a conroaarron FLEXIBLE BRACELET.

Application filed November 19, 1920. Serial No. 425,216.

To alt whom it may concern."

Be it known that l, ADNA F. BLANCHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Bracelets, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for an object to efiect improvements in the manufacture of flexible bracelets, particularly aiming to enable the satisfactory production of such an article from sheet metal in an inexpensive manner. A particular aim of the invention is to give an improved setting for gems having especial value and adapted to be formed inteally with the structural parts of the brace- Fe t units. A further aim is to provide a novel form of link connection between the units of a bracelet; Another important purpose is to' provide an improved form of catch, adapted to be contained within one of the very small units, ordinarily employed in such bracelets, whereby all of the units of the bracelet may be of uniform size.

It is an especially important aim of the inventibn to enable the production of bracelet units with a small number of parts, involving few machine and stamping operations. It is an important attainment of the invention that the setting of gems may be rapid and involve a minimum expenditure for labor and machine operations.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appear from the construction, arrangement and relation of parts hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, wherein, a

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one unit of a'bracelet constructed in accordance with my invention, actual size,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a number of units connected, enlarged {our diameters. Fig. 3 is a partially vertical cross sectional view of one of the units in a lane alined with the link elements, enlarge sixteen diameters.

Fig. 4 is a similar view at right angles to Fig. 3, and showing a unit having a catchelcment therein,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of a unit with the jewel removed and showing a latch, instead of the usual link head employed on the other units of a bracelet,

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a unit having the usual link head thereon and having incorporated therein, a catch device to coact with the bill before mentioned, the unit shown in this figure being the same as that shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of a blank for the gem supporting frame.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the latch mechanism shown in Fig. 6 is formed.

Fig. 9 is a lan view of the blank from which the main body portion of each unit is formed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith the bracelet includes any desired number of units 10 which are of similar construction, with the exception of two adjacent units of each bracelet which are provided respectivelywith a latch 11 and spring catch 37 cooperating therewith to furnish a ready means for disconnecting these units to permit removal of the bracelet.

Each of the units comprises a main body faces, the remaining side of the rectangular shell bein openfifor a purpose which will be more ully described hereinafter. 1 The main body portion is preferably formed by being pressed from a blank sheet of metal of-the shape shown in Fig. 9- of the drawings, although any other suitable or desired method of forming the same may be .em-

ployed as circumstances may require or .condltions of manufacture render expedient.

The body portion of each unit has an open-.

ing 29 formed in the face opposite to the open side thereof for exposing to view a gem positioned within the box shaped body ortion and supported by suitable means w ich will be more fully described hereinafter. The edges of the opening 29 are engaged by the gem when the arts are in assembled positlon to retain t e same in place and prevent it from becoming lost, the diameter of the opening being somewhat less than the diameter 0 the gem.

One of the side walls of the bodyportion is cut away as indicated at 30, and the side wall opposite thereto terminates somewhat short of the remainingside walls.

A gem supporting frame 14, which may be made by stamping from a blank of sheet metal to give it the form illustrated in Fig.

7 of the drawings, cooperates with each of the body portions previously described to form therewith a completed unit and serve as a support for the gem positioned within the body portion to hold the same in place relative to the edge of the opening formed in the body member and also serve as a closure for the open face of the rectangular body portion. a

The blank illustrated in Fig 7 of the drawings is shaped to form the frame 14 by bending the end portion 15 upwardly at substantially right angles to the base 16 thereof to form one side wall of the frame, and the opposite end portion of the blank is then bent upwardly to form a side wall 15' opposite the wall 15 and the end portion 17 is again bent over so that the free end thereof will be positioned above and rest upon the side wall 15, whereby the opening 18 formed in the portion 17 will, when the frame is positioned within the body member, register with the opening 29 in the body member and serve as a seat for the gem. The remaining side 19 of the blank, which is provided with a triangular opening 25 formed therein, is then bent upwardly at right angles to the plane of the base 16 as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The upper edge of the wall 19 is recessed slightly as at 20, and the oppo site side of the blank is provided with an extension 21 from which projects a neck 22 provided at its outer end with laterally extending portions 23 to form with said neck a T-shaped head for connecting each unit to the next adjacent unit.

In assembling the various units except the two which are releasably joined together to permit of ready separation in removing the racelet, the T-shaped head carried by each frame is inserted in the triangular opening 25 in the frame to which it is to be connected by tilting one of the frames relative to the other to permit insertion of-the T-shaped head in the plane of the hypothenuse of the triangular opening, whereupon the frames are turned back into the position relative to each other as shown in Fig. 2 whereupon each T-shaped head will lie against the base of the frame next adjacent thereto, gems are then positioned in the several openings 18 in the supporting frames and body portions are positioned over each of the frames in such a manner that the slot 30 in each body portion fits over the T-shaped head carried by the next adjacent frame and holds the same between one side of the body portion and the base of the frame cooperating with said body portion to positively prevent the'head from becoming disengaged from the unit within which it projects. That side wall of the body portion opposite to the wall provided with the slot 30 being also somewhat shorter than the two remainin walls, as previously described, fits against file projecting head carried by the frame inserted therein as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings to completely close that side of the boxshaped unit. The two remaining side walls of the body portion have their free ends bent over as indicated at 32 to fit against and closely engage the rounded edges 33 of the frame 14 whereby the parts are securely held together and the gem clamped'against the edge of the opening 29 to securely retain the same in proper position. It Will be seen therefore that by my improved construction the box-shaped units are formed from a plurality of rectangular body portions each enclosing a supporting'frame for a gem positioned within the body portion and cooperating with the frame to hold the base of said frame in position to serve as a closure for the open side of the body portion and also cooperate with the frame to engage and hold therebetween the T-shaped head projecting from the frame of the unit next adjacent thereto whereby the several parts are held against separation while permitting the necessary flexibility of movement between the several units.

One of the two units of the bracelet which are releasably secured to ether is provided in place of the T-shaped head 12 with a tongue 11 having a beveled edge 24- and a notch formed in the edge adjacent to the beveled portion 24. This tongue 11 is adapted to be inserted in the opening 30 at the base of the unit next adjacent thereto, the unit receiving said tongue being provided in addition to a frame 14 with a latch mechanism for releasabl holding the tongue in position therein. The latch mechanlsm above referred to may be struck out from a blank or formed in any desired manner to conform substantially with the shape shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The blank is then bent as shown in Fig. 6 into approximately rectangular form and positioned within the frame 14 whereby the side 34; of the blank is positioned against the side of the body portion adjacent to the T-shaped head 12 and the side 35 bears against the inner surface of the wall 19. The side 36 of the latch frame extends somewhat obliquely to and has its free end contacting with the wall 15 of the frame to increase the spring actionofthe latch. An actuating lug 13 projects outwardlyfrom that side of the latch which is opposite to the side 36 and projects through a suitable opening 38 in the side wall of the frame and an o ening in the body portion whereby the latch may be actuated to release the tongue 11. .The side 35 of the latch has a slot 36 formed therein to provide a catch 37 adapted to cooperate with the notch in the tongue 11 to releasably hold the tongue against separation when the same is inserted within the slot 30, and upon pressure being exertedupon the lug 13' the side memes 35 will be forced inwardly sufliciently to free the catch 37 from the notch in the tongue 11 and permit removal of the tongue.

Having described my invention; what I claim is:

1. In a bracelet, a plurality of connected units each comprising a rectangular open sided-shell provided with an opening in the side opposite to said open side for receiving a gem, a frame cooperating with each rectangular shell to close the open side thereof, a T-shaped head carried by each frame and projecting between the rectangular shell and the frame of the next adjacent unit, means for supporting a gem within said rectangular shell in position to be exposed to view through the opening formed in one side thereof, and means for securing each rectangular shell to its enclosed frame whereby the T-shaped head of the next ad jacent unit is held against removal from between the shell and frame.

2. In a bracelet, a plurality of connected links each comprising a body portion of rectangular form having an open side, a frame member fitting within the open side of said body portion and serving as a closure for the open side thereof, a connecting head carried by each frame and fitting between the frame and body portion of the next adjacent unit, and means for securing each body portion to its corresponding frame whereby the connecting head of the next adjacent unit is engaged between said frame and body portion and held against removal therefrom.

3. In a bracelet, a plurality of connected links each comprising a body portion provided with an open side and having an opening in one side for exposing to view a gem contained within said body portion; a frame member serving as a closure for the open side of said body portion and provided with a head for connecting the link with the next succeeding link, means for securing said frame and body portion together to hold therebetween the connecting head carried by the frame portion of the link adjacent thereto, and means positioned within &

said body portion for supporting the gem within said body portion and in proper position, relative to the gem exposing opening formed therein.

4:. In a bracelet, a plurality of connected links each comprising a pair of cooperating members nested together, one of said members being provided with side edges extending beyond and bent over the corresponding side edges of the second member to hold the same against separation, each of said second named members being provided with an integral head extending therefrom and fitting. between the cooperating members of the unit next adjacent thereto, each of said heads' being held against removal from the unit next adjacent thereto when the side edges of one of the members comprising the next adjacent unit have been bent over the corresponding side edges of its cooperating member. 7

5. In a bracelet, a plurality of connected links each comprising a pair of cooperating members nested together one of said members being provided with a gem exposing opening, means for supporting a gem between said cooperating members in position to seat against and be held against removal by the edge of said gem exposing opening, a connecting head carried by one of said members and positioned between the cooperating members of the next succeeding link, and means for securing each pair of cooperating members together to hold them against separation and at the same time hold the connecting head of the next succeeding link against removal.

6. A gem setting comprising a gem supporting frame provided with a base portion, an integral extension from one side thereof bent upwardly and then inwardly overthe" said base portion to afford a seat for a gem, a body portion provided with a gem exposing opening fitting over said supporting frame, and means for securing said frame and body portion against separation.

In testlmony whereof I have aflixed my signature. I

ADNA F. BLANCHARD. 

